Newsletter No. 21 | Term 3 Week 3 | Thursday 28th July 2022
Prayer
Lord,
Your door is always open to us.
Help us to keep our doors open to all who struggle with poverty and homelessness.
Give us open hearts to recognize our sisters and brothers in need, particularly during these cold Winter months.
Fill us with the will to work in our community and country towards ending the pain and waste that poverty and homelessness create.
We ask this through Jesus, who emptied himself of all, but love.
Amen.
Principal's Message
Dear Families and Friends,
I was talking to someone from Darwin the other day who couldn’t wait to get back to the Top End where they only have two seasons, both of them warm. I did live up there for a couple of years and although I quite enjoyed the warmth, the humidity did me in, give me four seasons any day, even with a cold winter thrown in!
This of course is easy to say when you have a warm home to go to each night. Today’s prayer reflects on those who do not have a home to go to. It is very sobering to see people living on the streets and so hard to imagine how that must be for them. Our students showed great empathy and compassion for homeless people we came across in Melbourne, a great example to us all. Perhaps we can find our own ways to do something to help someone who will be feeling the cold this winter.
This week we handed in our School Reflection Report as part of the Review process. I would like to thank the staff for all that they did to put it together. Everybody has had some input along the way. Our full time teachers gave up some of their holidays to help out with it, what a team!
The next step is that the Review Panel will meet with various focus groups at school on August 9th and 10th. This will include a parent group. If there is anyone who would like to be part of this please let me know.
SPECIALIST DAY NEXT WEEK
Next Thursday, a Literacy Leader from Catholic Education Ballarat will be coming to work with our class teachers. In order to cause as little disruption to class time as possible, the Specialist day will now be on Thursday and normal classes will run on Wednesday.
Therefore, students will need to be in sports uniform on Thursday. I will pop a reminder on the Parents Facebook page.
HOT DOG LUNCH
Sophie Rock has offered to do a hot lunch next week, Tuesday 2nd August. If anybody would like to help Sophie cook the hot dogs just let her know or let us know at school. Any profits will go to Vinnie’s for their Winter Appeal.
- Cost will be: $2 per Hot Dog -
BOOK WEEK PARADE - Change of date
We have noticed a clash with the proposed date for the Book week Parade and the Senior Winter Sports. Therefore the Book Week Parade will now be held on Thursday 25th August.
SCHOOL TV
Managing screen time is an area that provides many challenges for parents and carers in our world today. Hopefully our next topic Managing Screen Time will be helpful. Feel free to share it with anyone you know who is struggling with this area.
YEAR 3/4 AFL NINES
Last Friday a group of our Year 3/4 students participated in an AFL Nines tournament at Central Reserve. Many of our children had not had much experience with playing footy but that didn’t stop them from stepping up to the challenge. We teamed up with four students from Colac West, so as an added bonus, we got to make some new friends.
Over the course of the day, all of the children grew in confidence and in their skill levels. It was fabulous to watch. Congratulations to all of our students. I think some of them may have found a new love for footy.
GUITARS NEEDED FOR MUSIC
We are wondering if any families might have a guitar at home they would be willing to lend to our 5/6 students for their music program this term? The guitars would be cared for by Mrs McGuane and returned to families at the end of the term. Any loan would be greatly appreciated.
BUSH EXCURSION - Week 9
Our Bush Excursion for this Term will be on Friday 9th September. Parent feedback has indicated that students are quite tired the day after the bush excursions so we thought that we would move them from Wednesdays to Fridays. We are thinking that we might head down to Lake Elizabeth for this one (tbc).
We would love parents to come along so put the date in your diaries. It should be fun!
Have a great week!
Leanne Eastman
principal@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
SchoolTV
In this edition of SchoolTV - MANAGING SCREEN TIME
As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that 77% of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.
Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach to using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.
Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child’s overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child’s social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains.
In this edition of SchoolTV, care-givers will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Here is the link to the Managing Screen Time edition of SchoolTV
https://sbcoragulac.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time
Fundraising News
Warrion Flower Show: Tombola Jars
Below are some ideas to help everyone with their Tombola Jars for our fundraising store at the Warrion Flower Show, which is being held on Wednesday 26th October.
It is not necessary to buy a brand new jar. Try to reuse/recycle jars you already have. Just give used jars a clean with hot water and vinegar to take the smell out of the jar.
Get the kids involved and it becomes a school holiday activity for the kids, as they decorate the jars. To have lots of jars to display for Tombola would be fantastic, as it would result in both a great looking stall and maximum fundraising potential for our school. Variety, colour, and the element of surprise is a big part of the fun of Tombola.
Ideas include, but are obviously not restricted to...
- Making a batch of jam/chutney/preserves/pickles? A jar of homemade goodness would be a lovely jar to receive in Tombola.
- You can reuse jars from the kitchen, simply wash, dry and fill.
Think pasta, nuts, lollies, lentils, mints, biscuits, spices.
- Perhaps make up a couple of biscuit/brownie/cookie mix jars (google it)
- Items do not even have to be edible.
Think pencils, puzzle, beads, buttons, screws, nails, clothes pegs, washing powder, bath salts, pot pourri, seeds for the garden.
- When at the supermarket grab a couple of extra items in jars. Job done!
- Have a family member or friend with a business to promote? Perhaps they’d like to contribute a voucher ($ value or deal offer) ...Pop it in a jar!
Last time the school collected 270 Tombola jars. Can we break the record this time?
Other ways to help with the Flower Show:
In the next month or two, a working group will be meeting to get our stalls up and running. We understand that we have new families in the school who may not know what is involved or how they can help out. There is a list below to give you an idea of what is involved.
St. Brendan’s Stalls 2022 (to be confirmed)
- Petting Zoo
- Flower Crowns
- BBQ
- Tombola jars
Families can assist by:
- Helping out at a working bee in the hall the day before the show, decorating the jars and doing other small jobs in preparation for the next day (the added bonus is having a coffee, a chat with other families and feeling good about working with others to do something for our school)
- Packing the trailer the day before
- Being rostered on for a shift on the day of the Show. This may be to sell Tombolas, help out with the bbq or supervise the petting zoo
- Setting up on the day
- Packing up post event
School Concert Videos - NOW AVAILABLE!
Copies of the school concert video are now available for purchase from the front office. We are selling these USB's for $15 each and all proceeds are going towards the community groups fundraising total. Perfect for grandparents and friends who may not have been able to attend on the night!
CDFNL Finals Gate Fundraiser
St Brendan's has again been given the opportunity to man the gates during the CDFNL Finals Series this year. Some parents may remember helping with this in previous years and it was a fantastic fundraiser for the school. We are able to raise significant funds and all we need to do is show up with some volunteer power!
We are looking for parent helpers to assist in covering shifts working on the gate. If you are able to help in any way please contact the office and we can put your name on your preferred shift. Thank you.
Prep/1 Classroom News
Week 3!
LITERACY: Students have begun writing their own poems this week! Using the model text , “How to Make a Wolf” for inspiration, the poems are sounding great. It has been wonderful to observe students becoming more confident in their ability to sound-out words, develop ideas and craft interesting sentences.
MATHS: This week we have begun our learning cycle on “Money.” This was a well-received topic. All students have enjoyed learning about the features and value of different Australian coins. After discovering that the lyrebird features on the 10 cent piece, we watched a David Attenborough video of this incredible creature. Ask your child about what sounds the lyrebird can mimic.
RELIGION: We have been learning about the prophet Micah this week in Religion. We discovered that a prophet is someone who spreads a message from God. We also located Irsael (where Micah lived) on a world map.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: Science has continued to enthrall the students. The students appear to really enjoy learning about phenomena in the world around us. Last Friday, we made slime. A big thankyou to Lynda Newcombe (or should I say Scientist Lynda) who helped out in the classroom. If any other parents are interested in joining us on Friday afternoons to help out with experiments, please let me know!
Keep up the nightly reading at home! Make sure your child is practicing their word lists as well.
Allira Kluver
akluver@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
2/3/4 Classroom News
Welcome to Week 3!
As we are experiencing a spate of wet weather and as a result, lots of puddles, it might be a good idea to have a spare pair of socks in schoolbags. Everyone is welcome to bring along a pair of slippers to wear in the classroom as boots and shoes are getting quite muddy.
Last Friday we conducted an experiment using liquids. The results were pretty cool. Below you will find some of the Year 4 results.
LITERACY: In Literacy we have been learning about the Commonwealth Games which begin tomorrow.
In Reading are looking at short plays and monologues with the class presenting them to each other. We are focusing on expression, volume and following punctuation cues.
For Writing the children are creating calligrams which are also known as shape poems.
RELIGION: In R.E. we have been investigating the 7 sacraments in the Catholic Church. The sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick and Holy Orders.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: Our Integrated Curriculum theme for this term is ‘Changes happen all around us. What is the science behind it?’ We are investigating solids, liquids and gases and are exploring how solids change to liquids by adding heat.
MATHS: In Maths we are looking at fractions focusing on the concepts below:
Year 2: identifying eighths of shapes and objects.
Year 3: identifying fractions up to a whole.
Year 4: identifying tenths and decimal fractions.
HOMEWORK: Homework has been sent out with a worksheet focused on basic mathematical concepts and new spelling words to learn.
The Star of the Week award goes to Brianna D’Altera. Congratulations on your excellent work and effort!
Cheers,
Mandy Sutherland
msutherland@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
5/6 Classroom News
Welcome to Week 3 of Term 3! I hope everyone has been keeping warm and dry this week!
LEADERSHIP GROUPS: Just a reminder that the Earth Heroes are collecting plastic bottle lids (milk, water & soft drink lids). If you could please remember to collect these lids we would appreciate it very much. There is a Lids4Kids box near Gracesyn’s office.
PORTFOLIOS: It would be great if all portfolios could come back to school as soon as possible, thank you!
WRITING: This week in Writing we have been working on Diamante poems. The students have been writing a poem comparing two nouns of their choice. Our main focus when writing these poems has been word choice; choosing the best nouns, adjectives and verbs to describe our topics.
MATHS: In Maths this week we have been learning about transformations. Year 5 students have been enlarging pictures using a grid system and Year 6 students have been making tessellations with simple shapes.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: In class this week we have been investigating liquids. We have been looking at the properties of liquids and have been discussing their shape, volume and mass.
HOMEWORK: The homework that was sent home last Monday is due this Friday.
I hope you all have a great week, please don’t hesitate to email me if you have any questions or concerns.
Tahlia Whytcross
twhytcross@sbcoragulac.catholic.edu.au
Birthday Corner
We would like to wish a very big Happy Birthday to everyone who has celebrated their special day this week, including:
26th July - Charlie Ferrari (8)
28th July - Matilda Carlon (8)
Important Dates
AUGUST
1st - Advisory Council Meeting 7pm
2nd - Hot Dog Lunch (Raising money for Vinnie's Winter Appeal)
3rd - 100 Days of Prep Celebration
9th & 10th - School Review Panel at St Brendan's
12th & 15th - NO SCHOOL (Catholic Schools Long Weekend)
22nd - Book Week Begins
22nd - Scholastic Book Fair Begins in the Hall
25th - Book Week Dress Up Parade. Theme: 'Dreaming with Eyes Open'
30th - Indian Classical Dance Performance by Chandralaya
SEPTEMBER
9th - Bush Excursion to Lake Elizabeth
11th - Thomas Carr Open Day
16th - Final Day of Term 3
Acknowledgement of Country
At St. Brendan’s Primary School we pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land, the Gulidjan people and pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We will respect the land, animals and waterways, from the roots of the earth to the tops of the trees. Through the example of our first Australians, we understand that if we look after the country, then the country will look after us.
About Us
School Vision: 'For you I have a destiny and a hope.'
PARISH PRIEST: Fr Michael O’Toole PRINCIPAL: Mrs Leanne Eastman
SAC CHAIRPERSON: Ms Gayle McNabb CHILD SAFETY OFFICER: Mrs Leanne Eastman